Improvement in foot-rests for chairs



T. A. 10 H NSUN .Y

Patented March11',i1a7s.

W'xTNEs AM. PHOTO-uma 6MP/llc co. 1v. (asaoRNE's mocgss) UNITED STATESVPATENT OFFICE.

THEOIORE A. JOHNSON, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOOT-RESTS FOR CHAIRS.

To all whom it may concern:

B e it known that I, liaEoDoRE ALFRED JOHNSON, of Portland, in the.county ot' Oumberland and State ot' Maine, have invented certain new anduseful Improved Extensible Foot-Rest for Chairs; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof',that will enable others skilled in the art to which it wappertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingand to thel letters of reference marked thereon which form a part ot'this specification.

The purpose of this invention is toprovide a foot-rest for chairs of anew and improved construction, which may be attached to any chairwithout the prerequisite of any peculiar formation of thechair,

The construction of the foot-rest may be learned from the followingdescription: Secured by pivots or screws to the front or bottom of thechair, either to that portion placed for ornamental purposes beneath thefrontl rail of the chair, or, when a wider rest is desired, to the innerside ot' the legs, are two arms, the other ends ot' which are pivoted tothe foot-rest at each side. The points at which the arms are pivoted tothe rest are determined by considerations hereafter adverted to.

The rest may be either single or capable of extension. To render itextensible two parallel grooves of the shape of an inverted T (or ofsuch other form as may be as well adapted for the purpose) are made nearto and parallel to the'sides of the rest to which the arms are attached,extending a greater or less portion of its length, as desired. In eachofthcse grooves are placed T-shaped teeth, two or more in number, whichare so attached to another rest as to admit ot' the teeth sliding freelyin the grooves when it is wished to extend or make shorter the rest. Atthe back ot' the rest are placed one or more hooks, while upon the frontof the rail of the chair are inserted p the like number of hooks orcatches in corre-- sponding positions, into which thehooks uponSpeciicatonforming part of Letters Patent No. 136,734, dated March l1,1873.

the rest may be inserted. Beneath the chair at the back is fixed a hook.(See a in the drawing.) The arms must be ot' such length that when inuse the back of the rest will be in contact or almost in conact with thefront of the chair, so as to allow the hooks to be placed in thecatches; and when not in use, and the rest is placed beneath the chair,no part ot' the rest will project beyond the trout of the chair. p

In the drawing, c shows the arms; b, the rest containing the grooves f 5cl is the eXtensible portion ofthe rest, and e the hooks attached to therest. a is the hook placed beneath the back of the chair.

The operation of the foot-rest will be readily seen. When in use it isplaced in the position shown in the drawing, it being sustained by thehooks which are inserted upward into the catches. When it is desired toputfthe rest beneath the chair the hooks are removed from the catchesand the rest, still preserving a horizontal position, is swung under thechair, the ends ofthe arms describing the semicircle shown in dottedlines in the drawing, the back ot'the rest being placed upon the hooka., where it is supported, its position under the chair being shown indotted lines. It' the weight of the rest is so great as to prevent itsbeing thus supported, the result may be effected by placing a button orlike contrivance under the t'ront rail ofthe chair.

What I claim as my invention is- The detachable foot-resthereindescribed, consisting of the arms c, piece b, (with or without thepiece 01,) hooks c, and catches and the hook a or its-equivalents,cnistlucted and applied substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this22d day of January, 1873.

THEODORE A. JOHNSON.

lVitnesses THEO. JOHNSON, GEo. E. BIRD.

